I Am, You Are (Ser)
Conjugate ser in the present tense (soy, eres, es, somos, son). Use ser for permanent characteristics.
A lesson of Spanish A1 — Beginner, in Being: Ser & Estar, about 10 minutes.
Ser: I Am, You Are, We Are
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to conjugate ser in the present tense and use it correctly for identity, origin, time, and permanent characteristics.
What Is Ser?
Ser is one of two Spanish verbs meaning "to be." You'll learn the other (estar) in the next lesson. For now, focus on ser — used for permanent or defining characteristics.
Conjugation of Ser (Present Tense)
| Pronoun | Ser | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| yo (I) | soy | soy |
| tú (you, informal) | eres | EH-res |
| él/ella/usted | es | es |
| nosotros (we) | somos | SOH-mos |
| vosotros (you all, Spain) | sois | soys |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | son | son |
Key note: In Latin America, vosotros is rarely used — ustedes is used for both formal and informal "you all."
When to Use Ser
Ser = the verb for permanent or essential characteristics. Use it for:
1. Identity — Who you ARE
Soy estudiante. — I am a student. Eres médico. — You are a doctor. Ella es actriz. — She is an actress.
2. Origin — Where you're FROM
Soy de México. — I am from Mexico. ¿De dónde eres? — Where are you from? Somos de España. — We are from Spain.
3. Nationality and describing identity
Soy mexicano. — I am Mexican. Ella es colombiana. — She is Colombian.
4. Physical and personality characteristics
Mi hermano es alto. — My brother is tall. Eres muy inteligente. — You are very intelligent. El libro es rojo. — The book is red.
5. Time and dates
¿Qué hora es? — What time is it? Son las tres. — It's three o'clock. Hoy es lunes. — Today is Monday. — It's May fifth.